Homogenizer



June 4, 1963 J. B. VAN DER WINDEN 3,092,373

HOMOGENIZER Filed Feb. 23. 1960 INVENTOR.

- Johann s B-VN/ DER Mil/DEN my I dtaes Filed Feb. 23, 1960, Ser. No.10,151 Claims priority, application Netherlands Feb. 23, 1959 2 Claims.(Cl. 259-98) This invention relates to a homogenizer meant forcomrninuting the particles in an emulsion, e.g., the fat globules inmilk, and comprising a homogenizing member comprising a seat having abore therein and a follower cooperating with said seat, which followeris kept urged against said seat under a controllable pressure, thepressure exerted by the liquid to be homogenized forming a narrow slitbetween the seat and the follower for the passage therethrough of theemulsion to be homogenized.

=In the conventional homogenizers of the type in question the followeris mechanically kept urged against the seat by an adjustable forceexerted by a spring or a weight. The construction used for homogenizersof this type has various disadvantages, the main disadvantages being thegreat wear and tear of essential parts, the dimcult and time-consumingremoval and/or replacement of the follower, which is periodicallynecessary. Moreover the pressure by means of which the follower is kepturged against the seat by an adjustable spring is diiiicult to controland therefore unreliable.

The object of this invention is to avoid said disadvantages by animproved construction of a homogenizer of this type.

To achieve this end according to the invention the homogenizer ischaracterized in that the follower is coupled with the piston of ahydraulic cylinder provided with an adjustable throttling means.According to another feature of the invention the coupling between thefollower and the piston of the hydraulic cylinder may consist of acoupling member adapted to be interposed between said piston and saidfollower and to be removed in opposition to a weak spring acting on saidpiston.

According to a further feature of the invention the follower may be soconnected via the coupling and the piston with the mechanism driving thepressure plunger(s) of the homogenizer that said follower is stepwiserotated about its axis.

By applying the invention a homogenizer is obtained in which thepressure with which the follower is kept urged against its seat admitsof being accurately adjusted in a simple manner. Furthermore thecoupling member and thus the follower and the seat may be removed veryeasily. By the measure of rotating the follower stepwise the abuttingsurfaces of the follower and the seat are kept trued relative to eachother, so that it is only seldom necessary to true the follower and theseat.

An embodiment of the homogenizer will be described hereinafter forelucidating the invention, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the homogenizer;

FIGURE 2 is a showing in perspective of the homogenizing member (partlycut away);

FIGURE 3 is a showing in perspective of the driving mechanism of thepress pumps belonging to the homogenizer.

According to the drawing the homogenizer comprises a frame 1 providedwith a number of pump chambers 2, each having a suction valve 3, adelivery valve 4 and a plunger 5 of its own, all of said chambers beingconnected to a common supply conduit 6 for the emulsion to behomogenized. The pressure plungers 5 are each ice driven by an eccentricconnecting rod mechanism 7 driven by a common driving shaft 8.

The pumping chambers 2 discharge into a common pressure chamber 9, inwhich the homogenizing member is mounted. Said homogenizing membercomprises a stationary bored seat 10 connected to a discharge conduit 11and a follower 12 which is axially and rotatably journalled in theframe 1. The abutting ends of the seat 10 and the follower 12 have areduced external diameter so that oppositely directed thrust faces 13and 14 are formed in such a manner that when a predetermined pressure inthe pressure chamber 9 is reached the follower 12 will axially move awayfrom the seat so that a narrow slit will form between the seat and thefollower, through which slit the emulsion will be forced under a veryhigh pressure and at a very high speed and it is this feature on whichthe homogenizing action of the homogenizer is based.

The pressure in the pressure chamber 9 at which the slit between theseat 10 and the follower 12 will form depends on the pressure by meansof which the follower 12 is kept urged against the seat 10. Pressure isapplied to the follower 12 by a piston 16 which is mounted in ahydraulic cylinder 17. The piston 16 is coupled to follower 12 by aremovable coupling member 15 which is non-rotatably coupled to both thepiston 16 and the follower 12. The hydraulic cylinder 17 which containsa weak compression spring 18 in order to keep the follower 12 urgedagainst the seat with a slight force via the piston 16 and the couplingmember 15, is connected to a pump 26 by a conduit 19, said pump beingfed from an oil bath 21. Furthermore, a pressure gauge 22 and athrottling member 23 are connected to the cylinder 17, said throttlingmember discharging in the oil bath 21, the oil thus discharged being atthe same time utilized for lubricating the driving mechanism 7, 3.

Because the throttling member 23 admits of being accurately adjusted itis possible in view of the specific ratio between the operative areas ofthe piston 16 and the thrust face 13 of the follower 12 to exactlyascertain by reading the pressure gauge 22 at what pressure in thepressure chamber 9 the slit between the seat 10 and the follower 12 willopen. The pressure on said pressure gauge, therefore, has a fixedrelationship to the pressure in the chamber 9, so that it is notnecessary to connect a pressure gauge to said pressure chamber 9, whichmakes for a more hygienic operation of the homogenizer.

By providing the piston 16 with a rod 24 which via a pawl and ratchetgear 25 is rotated stepwise by an arm 26 which has its one end carryinga roller kept into contact with one of the connecting rods 7, thefollower 12 is kept rotating in order to make it wear evenly.

-When the homogenizer is inoperative it is sufficient for removing thefollower 12 to axially move the coupling member 15 in opposition to thespring 18 and to subsequently remove said member, whereupon the follower12 becomes accessible while also the seat 10 may be removed.

it will be clear that the principle according to the invention admits ofstructural variants of the embodiment described. More particularly it ispossible to so construct the homogenizer that the direction of flowthrough the slit in the homogenizing member is directed radiallyoutwards instead of radially inwards.

I claim:

1. An emulsion homogenizer comprising a casing having a homogenizingchamber therein, an annular homogenizing member having a seat on one endthereof and being stationarily mounted in said chamber, said casinghaving an outlet opening therein through which said annular homogenizingmember opens, a follower slidable in said casing in alignment with saidhomogenizing mem her and bearing against said seat, said follower beingmovspsasvs able away from said seat'under liquid pressure in saidchamber exerted on said follower, a counter pressure exerting meansmounted on said casing in spaced relationship thereto and including anaxially movable pressure transmitting member, a removable couplingmember be tween said pressure transmitting member and said follower, andweak spring means in said pressure exerting means urging said pressuretransmitting member toward said coupling member with a force onlysufiicient to hold said follower on the seat of said homogenizing memberwhen no liquid pressure in said chamber is exerted on said follower,whereby, when no hydraulic pressure is exerted on said pressuretransmitting member, said coupling member can be removed by moving itagainst said spring means for separating it from said follower, and saidfollower ean be slid out of said casing.

2. An emulsion homogenizer as claimed in claim 1 in which said couplingmember is non-rotatably coupled References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 930,033 .Bither Aug. 3, 1909 1,359,669 BuckNOV. 23, 1920 1,492,019 Colony Apr. 29, 1924 1,856,408 Grear May 3, 19322,081,157 Swenson May 25, 1937 2,389,486 .Colony Nov. 20, 1945 2,527,689'Suthard et a1 Oct. 31, 1950 2,832,573 Rees Apr. 29, 1958 2,852,237 ReesSept. 16, 1958

1. AN EMULSION HOMOGENIZER COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A HOMOGENIZINGCHAMBER THEREIN, AN ANNULAR HOMOGENIZING MEMBER HAVING A SEAT ON ONE ENDOF THEREOF AND BEING STATIONARILY MOUNTED IN SAID CHAMBER, SAID CASINGHAVING AN OUTLET OPENING THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID ANNULAR HOMOGENIZINGMEMBER OPENS, A FOLLOWER SLIDABLE IN SAID CASING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAIDHOMOGENIZING MEMBER AND BEARING AGAINST SAID SEAT, SAID FOLLOWER BEINGMOVABLE AWAY FROM SAID SEAT UNDER LIQUID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBEREXERTED ON SAID FOLLOWER, A COUNTER PRESSURE EXERTING MEANS MOUNTED ONSAID CASING IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THERETO AND INCLUDING AN AXIALLYMOVABLE PRESSURE TRANSMITTING MEMBER, A REMOVABLE COUPLING MEMBERBETWEEN SAID PRESSURE TRANSMITTING MEMBER AND SAID FOLLOWER, AND WEAKSPRING MEANS IN SAID PRESSURE EXERTING MEANS URGING SAID PRESSURETRANSMITTING MEMBER TOWARD SAID COUPLING MEMBER WITH A FORCE ONLYSUFFICIENT TO HOLD SAID FOLLOWER ON THE SEAT OF SAID HOMOGENIZING MEMBERWHEN NO LIQUID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER IS EXERTED ON SAID FOLLOWER,WHEREBY, WHEN NO HYDRAULIC PRESSURE IS EXERTED ON SAID PRESSURETRANSMITTING MEMBER, SAID COUPLING MEMBER CAN BE REMOVED BY MOVING ITAGAINST SAID SPRING MEANS FOR SEPARATING IT FROM SAID FOLLOWER, AND SAIDFOLLOWER CAN BE SLID OUT OF SAID CASING.